It's easy to let the hustle and bustle of the holidays get the best of you. Whether it's parties, buying gifts, or standing in line for a couple of photos with Santa, by the time the end of December rolls around you haven't put a fish in the net all month. Well, Trouts own Director of Education Courtney Despos was determined to make sure that the holidays didn't keep her from enjoying a fish or two. So, last week, we made the drive to 11 Mile Canyon with the hopes of finding a couple of dry fly eaters.

In my humble opinion, 11 Mile might be home to the most willing winter risers on the South Platte. It doesn't take much to get those fish up in the water column searching for midges. So, with a little sun in the forecast, we figured it was a shot...

With a fresh coat of snow, the drive into the canyon was pretty scenic.

Talking shop and fly choices...

We're in boot season. The chill in the air and some fresh snow on the ground told us that.

Courtney crossed her I's and dotted her T's and made sure she had everything on her for a good day of fishing. That's how the saying goes...right?

A look at old 11 Mile.

You can never go wrong with Pheasant Tails...of all sorts.

Courtney grabbe her warm gloves from the dashboard and we started our way to some primo runs.

With no risers in sight, Courtney opted for the nymph rig.

Laser show. Pew. Pew.

And a dinker came to the net.

After a couple more casts and a couple more eats from some Ninos...

Courtney decided to switch up the fly choice. We still hadn't seen any risers, so we kept hitting it with nymphs.

Measure once...cut twice. I'm nailing these common sayings!

That low winter sun brought the glow.

And Courtney was hooked up again.

This time with a bigger, but admittedly weathered rainbow.

Bye now.

"Don't leave fish to find fish." Courtney casts back in that productive run.

Plop goes the nymph rig.

Big mend.

And another trout in the bag.

We decided to leave and start working our way downstream.

A quick river crossing.

And a water haul later...

and BINGO!

The sun was fading and we hadn't run into risers.

This fish served as a good cap to the day.

Bye now.